Mattress



Feb. 24, 1942. J. E. ALLEN 2,274,027

MATTRES S Filed Jan. 2, 1940 lfatented Feb. 24, 1942 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE MATTRESS James E. Allen, Ames, Iowa Application January 2,1940, Serial No. 311,992

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved mattress. The object of myinvention is to provide improved padding construction for the ordinaryyspring mattress wherein all stitching through the mattress, and thetufts connected therewith, are entirely eliminated, and at the same timeprovide a mattress so constructed that the padding used on the upper andlower surfaces of `the springs will not move or bunch up.

A further object is to provide a mattress in which complete ventilationis established so as to keep the inner layers of the padding perfectlysanitary.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved handleconstruction wherein the mattress may be easily grasped when itisdesired to turn the mattress over or to carry it from one position tothe other, and to provide in the handle construction improved means foranchoring the handle tov the spring structure, whereby the handle may befirmly secured, and further to provide in such a handle constructionimproved means for detachably mounting the handle to the mattress.

A further object is to provide amattress so constructed that thepaddings at the ends of the mattress between the upper' and lowerpaddings are entirely eliminated, to permit freer circulation of airinto and between the upper and lower layers of padding, and to eliminatebreaking between the end padding and the said upper and lower layers ofpadding.

A further object is to provide a mattress that may be easily rolled,when so desired, into a compact bundle.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated areattained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims,and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of one end of a mattress, aportion of which is shown in section to show the interior construction;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of my improved mattress:

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the anchoring device to which one endof the mattress handle is attached when installed in the mattress; and

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the clamping device fordetachably attaching the mattress handle to its anchor.

My improved mattress comprises the ordinary springs III forming thecentral Yportion of the supporting frame, and an outside row of coilsprings II, all of the coils being of the same diameter and of slightlyheavier wire than those occupying the central portion of the support.The upper and lower ends of the coils I0 and II are supported in theusual manner by cross wires I2, the said upper and lower ends of thecoil spring frame being bound by a frame I3 at the top and a frame Il atthe bottom, said frame being constructed of a wire helix in the usualmanner, the said frame members I3 and I4 constituting the foundation forthe rolled edges of the upper and lower pads.

My improved mattress is constructed by rst providing a layer of sisal I5above and below the spring support, the inner surface of the sisal belngcovered by a heavier burlap I6, to serve as a foundation for the sisal,both of which are secured to the spring support by suitable stitches I1,the edges of the strip of sisal and burlap being wound around thehelical frames I3 and Il having their ends stitched to the under side ofthe strip I6 and to the frame members I3 and Il, thus providing a stiffand yet somewhat pliable foundation on which to build the padding. Theinner surface of the strip of sisal is unfinished so that the ends ofthe comparatively stil! and rough fibres forming said sisal strip willfirmly engage the vinner surface of an adjoining layer of cotton felt I8in such a manner that the strip of sisal will firmly hold the felt layerIl against relative movement between the two layers. A layer of fabric,such as muslin, I9, is then stretched over the layer of felt. Additionallayers of felt and muslin 20 are superimposed on 'the first layer andone yon the other in the manner clearly illustrated. The outer edges ofall of the layers of cotton are preferably thinned out or tapered andthen wound around the rolled portion of the sisal, and the entire layersof the muslin and cotton stitched together and to the sisal to formrolls 2|, the layers of muslin being stretched both longitudinally andlaterally at the time the edges are rolled under and around the sisalrolls. 'I'hese layers of cotton felt are comparatively thin so that thelayers or sheets of muslin will serve to prevent bunching or lumping ofthe cotton by movement of the body over the mattress. v

By this construction it will be seen that the only method of securingthe sheets of muslin and the felt strips is by rolling their edges underand around the rolled portion of the sisal and fixing coil springsupport having the ordinary coil 55 them to the Said Sisal layer. Bythis arrangement all stitching through the-various layers of padding andproviding tufts therefor is eliminated, so that perfectly smooth upperand lower surfaces are provided. Y

It will further be seen that a space 22 is provided between the upperand lower rolls 2l, so

that the upper padding may be moved longitudinally or laterally relativeto the lowerl padding without injury to either the upper or lower pads;and inasmuch as no padding is provided between the upper and lower rolls2|, of course, no breaking or injury would result to said rolls as isoften the case when end paddings are provided.

It will further be seen that the mattress may be quite readily rolled upin view of the fact that one of the pads is free to move laterally orlongitudinally relative to the other to accommodate the dilference incircumference between the inner and the outer pads when rolled.

The mattress thus formed may be placed in the usual tick 23. The edges24 of the tick 23 are provided with ventilation openings 25. The saidedges are also provided with openings 26 in which suitable eyelets 21are mounted for receiving the ends of a flexible handle member 28, theinner ends of the handle member 28 being provided with a metallic band29 which is rmly fixed to the handle, the inner end of which is providedwith a lip 30.

Foi securing the handles in position I have provided a wire frame 30having a looped portion 32 and leg members 33 having their ends Aterminating in hook portions 34. The hooks 34 are designed to be placedover coils of the cross frame members l2 of the spring support, afterwhich the member 29 may be introduced through the loop 32, together withthe member 30, after which the handle 23 may be bent near the member 29,as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 4, permitting the loop 32 to beintroduced under the member 30 by pulling the handle 28 outwardly, thusproviding means for locking the handles to the spring support. Thesehandles are placed in position at the time the tick is being placed onthe mattress.

Thus, it will be seen I have provided an improved mattress soconstructed that the cross stitching and tufts are entirely eliminatedand so constructed that the edges of the paddings are provided with rmlyformed rolls which are rmly anchored to the spring support.

It will further be seen that I have provided a mattress wherein therolls of the upper and lower pads may be vpushed together by a personsitting on the e'dge of mattress without in any way damaging themattress, and at the same time provide a mattress that may be easilyrolled and in which the interior of the mattress may be thoroughlyventilated, inasmuch as the air currents are caused to move into and outof the space between the pads due to the flexing of the upper and lowerpads toward and from each other as Weight is applied to or removed fromthe mattress.

Another advantage of my improved mattress lies in the provision ofsuitable handles by -means of which the mattress may be handled and themanner in which the handles are' attached to the spring support toprovide means whereby the attachment of the handle is not carried by anyof the fabric constituting the padding and where in the mattress mightbe roughly handled without injury.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mattress, comprising a coil spring support having top and bottomfaces, each bound by a frame member, a foundation layer of heavy `andrough fibrous material supported on the top and bottom of said springsupport and firmly secured thereto, having its edges formed over andaround said frame members, a series of alternate and superimposed layersof thin sheets of woven material and comparatively thin 'layers of softuntufted felt stretched over each foundation layer, each inner layer ofsoft fibrous felt being in direct contact with the protruding fibers ofsaid `foundation layer to prevent slippage of the layer of soft fibrousfelt relative to the foundation layer, the felt and sheets beingstretched longitudinally and transversely over said foundation layerwith their edges formed over and around the rolled edges of saidfoundation layer and firmly secured thereto, the sheets of muslin overthe thin felt layers serving to prevent bunching and matting of the softfibrous material without the usual ties and tufts.

2. A mattress, comprising a coil spring support having its upper andlower edges bound by helical frames, a foundation layer formed of sisalfelt covering the upper and lower surfaces of said spring support,having its edges rolled over and around said helical frame and securedthereto, alternate layers of muslin and untufted cotton felt stretchedover each layer of sisal felt, each inner layer` of cotton felt being indirect contact with the bers of the foundation layer to preventslipping, the outer edges of the layers of cotton felt and muslin beingstretched longitudinally and transversely with all of the muslin stripsparallel and then rolled over and around the rolled edges of saidfoundation layer, said rolled edges being normally spaced apart with nopadding between them, and a tick containing said spring frame, and upperand lower paddings under tension tending to separate them, the sides ofsaid tick having ventilation openings.

JAMES E. ALLEN.

